The extremely popular performance art extravaganza Big Sur Fashion Show will be held Sept. 7 at the Barnyard Shopping Village and tickets are going fast.

The annual fundraising event, which is a grand party celebrating the wildly artistic nature of Big Sur residents, tends to sell out very quickly. This year there are a number of adjustments in place that hopefully will alleviate the crush to get in.

While this year’s event continues for the second year at The Barnyard in Carmel, the event originally took place in Big Sur at Henry Miller Memorial Library and then the Big Sur River Inn. It’s important to note that there is the heartfelt intention to bring it back to the south coast area next year. Previously an event on the arts and entertainment calendar under the auspices of the Henry Miller Library, the fashion show is now under the non-profit umbrella of the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival Foundation,

Due to the financial hits the library has endured as a result of the catastrophic natural disasters in recent years, director Magnus Toren made the decision to release the fashion show from his responsibility. The Food and Wine Festival has picked up the ball to manage the event under the foundation’s arts beneficiary program. The fashion show in turn will benefit the “littles,” as Rivera has taken to calling the children of Big Sur.

“We’re focusing on the littles and wanting to support the future of the Big Sur community,” Rivera said. “In Big Sur there is the Apple Pie preschool and now Big Sur Park School, which is replacing the Gazebo School at Esalen. When Esalen restructured its business, they closed the Gazebo School. So our beneficiaries this year will be the Big Sur Park School, Big Sur Fiddle Camp, and Stage Kids Apple Pie Pre-school.”

The Fashion Show’s 2018 theme is “Age of Innocence,” with designers facing the challenge to explore what innocence is, how it is personally or socially defined, protected, lost, re-birthed, denied. One question to consider is whether the world or the environment itself has ever held innocence? As has been the case throughout this event’s history, designers must use non-traditional materials only, no cloth.

It’s pretty amazing to see the artistic representation of each year’s theme, not only in the outfits and the overall make-up treatment, but in the theatrical presentation of the clothing’s essence or storyline. Although it is described as being somewhat ‘PG-13esque.’ all ages are welcome to attend and only babes in arms or on laps are allowed in free. Just be aware there may be partial nudity and somewhat risqué behavior on occasion. Audience members have their own theme to consider when it comes to attire. “Color Me Water” offers those who want to participate the chance to dress in water/ocean-inspired colors and/or characters.

“We’re expecting a lot of blues, aquas, and greens along with mermaids and seahorses,” Rivera said.

For the uninitiated, once you secure your tickets (only four at a time with each ticket requiring a name to go with it), the night of the event you check in at Will Call in the Barnyard Gardens to receive admission wristbands. The opening reception begins at 6 p.m. and for an hour there will be live entertainment and “generally glamorously hanging out” and enjoying pre-show libations. Once most everyone is seated the Kids’ Fashion Show segment starts at approximately 7:30 p.m., exhibiting their own theme of “Oh The Places You Will Go!” That will be followed by the Main Event, MC’d again this year by Toren. It’s going to be another amazing night under the stars, the runway awash in color and crazy cool clothing you’d never wear other than for this event. All donations above and beyond ticket price are gladly accepted and will help to give the Big Sur “littles” a bright artistic future. The public release of tickets began July 15, and already they are well on their way to sell out. There are tickets still available at $50. Online sales are through eventbrite.com. Also, if there is an interest to become a sponsor of the event, executive director Elsa Rivera would gladly discuss what options are available. You can contact her at elsa.bsfw@gmail.com or 831-596-8105.

Mark your calendars for the Nov. 1-4, Big Sur Food and Wine Festival. Get more info on what the event offers at www.bigsurfoodandwine.org. It’s important to book hotel rooms in Big Sur now as often there are few to be found nearer the festival’s date.

I don’t often get the chance to feature the musical lineup at Sly McFly’s on Cannery Row, which offers entertainment seven nights a week. The restaurant/venue is smack dab in the middle of where lots of tourists like to hang out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t share the dance floor with people from all over the world. It’s a sure bet that there will be lots of locals there as well, coming out to support the local musicians.

This week features some of our usual suspects around town. Thursday evening 8:30 p.m. to midnight is The John Michaels Band playing dance tunes ranging from rock, funk and soul to blues and reggae. Friday and Saturday nights music runs from 9 p.m. to midnight, while Saturday and Sunday features afternoon sets from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. This Sunday afternoon is the Troy Oshann Duo, featuring Oshann’s soulful blues rock vocals, and on Tuesday evening you can catch Johnny Tsunami and the Shoulder Hoppers, both local stalwarts on the local music scene. And don’t miss Wednesday night with Blue Mambo, a fairly new group featuring the fantastic singer Lauri Hofer-Romero, with bandmates Skylar Campbell, Steve Smith, Sam Nilsson and Gary Thomas.

Have a local arts and entertainment event you want to tell us about? Contact Beth Peerless at beth@2bpeerless.com